The New Patent Mediation And Arbitration Centre (Cmap) OF THE Unified Patent Court

SÉRVULO PUBLICATIONS 14 Nov 2025

The Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre (CMAP), integrated into the Unified Patent Court (UPC), will begin operating in Lisbon, at the Palace of Justice, in January 2026.

Although the Agreement on the UPC has been in force since 2013, CMAP will only become fully operational next year, marking a decisive step in the consolidation of the European patent system.

Designed as a complementary mechanism to the UPC, CMAP aims to provide alternative dispute resolution methods for conflicts involving European patents, through mediation and arbitration. It will have jurisdiction to handle disputes concerning:

• Infringement or threatened infringement of patents and supplementary protection certificates;
• Declarations of non-infringement;
• Provisional and injunctive measures;
• Compensation for provisional protection or licensing;
• Rights based on prior use of the invention;
• Administrative decisions of the European Patent Office, namely those concerning patent applications, registration and fees.

Although CMAP will not have the authority to declare the revocation or limitation of patents, agreements reached through its procedures will be enforceable in all Contracting Member States and may be subject to the provision of security or equivalent guarantees. Non-compliance may result in the imposition of coercive financial penalties.

Despite its delayed launch, CMAP represents a significant milestone in the full implementation of the European patent system, reinforcing Lisbon’s role as a European legal hub in the field of industrial property.

Beatriz de Figueiredo Teixeira | bft@servulo.com